Something something Saturday
I've been tagged in a few of these for like a couple weeks and never do them because I've been writing a lot of rarepair stuff mostly. But I had some BuckTommy feelings after the most recent episode and also because this weekend I've been going to a theater to watch Lord of the Rings. So this is a Buck who's never seen the movies and a Tommy who loves them, and they ran into each other at the theater.
Things are going well until Moria. When Frodo and Gandalf are sitting and talking, Evan has this wistful look on his face, and Tommy realizes he's thinking of Bobby. He almost leans over and tells him to just leave for the next half hour or so, but he squeezes his hand instead. Evan squeezes back, and Tommy feels the flinch that goes through him after Pippin knocks the corpse and bucket into the well and gets scolded.
When Gandalf is clinging to the broken edge of the bridge, Evan’s hand squeezes so tight that it starts to hurt. He falls, and Evan’s breathing hitches. Tommy worries that he should've just leaned over and told him, especially when he sees tears roll down Evan's cheek. But when Evan catches him looking, he smiles and shakes his head. Tommy reaches over with his other hand and wipes his cheek with his thumb and the backs of his fingers.
“Need a break?” he murmurs, because the walk to Lothlorien is mostly New Zealand scenery porn.
“No, I'm okay,” Even whispers, letting go of his hand and flexing it with a grimace. “Sorry.”
“It's okay,” Tommy reassures him.
They finish the popcorn while Galadriel gives gifts. Then the last dregs of their candy goes soon after. By the time Boromir is begging for Frodo’s forgiveness, Evan slips his fingers between Tommy's again.
When the credits roll, Evan doesn't move. Tommy doesn't move either. He doesn't stare at him, though he's glancing.
“I'm seeing the second one tomorrow,” Evan says, looking over at him. “In this seat.”
Tommy smiles. “Me, too. Same seat.”
They get up and shuffle out, stretching as they go. Tommy's body pops in ways that he likes to think have nothing to do with the fact that he's in his forties.
“I think I might be Pippin,” Evan says, tossing his trash in the bins by the door.
Tommy nods slowly, considers the comparison. “As someone who knows his whole story, I'm actually inclined to agree with you. Maybe not for reasons you'd think. I was actually thinking you were more like Sam.”
Evan nudges him with his shoulder, grinning. “What, and you're Frodo?”
“Hell no,” Tommy scoffs. “I'm Boromir.”
“Bullshit, you're Aragorn or Legolas. Cool guy, ready to save the day.” He looks over at Tommy and shrugs. “I like him, he was brave and everything, but I don't think you'd do something like that. And he was kind of obviously the guy who was going to try to take the ring at some point.”
Tommy smiles to himself and shrugs. “I used to feel like that guy. Weak, going along with what people wanted. My dad, especially. I wasn't a nice person then. Maybe a Boromir who lived, I guess.”
They stop to pee and then wander into the the arcade in the lobby to see what games there are. Evan recognizes one but doesn't seem to care about playing it. It's quiet in the tiny arcade, relatively speaking. There's noise from the machines, but there's no people. Which is sad, the movie arcade used to be Tommy's favorite thing when he was younger.
“I've been having a really shitty time,” Evan says, the corner of his mouth twitching like he might smile or frown. He's looking at the motorcycle racing game, his eyes going shiny. “And, uh, I reread a text you sent you me after the funeral. I was going to just rent these, but then I saw they were playing and figured it would be good to go be somewhere for a few hours that wasn't my place o-or Maddie's. I'm glad I did. That was good.”
Tommy smiles, running his thumbs against the inner seam of his hoodie pockets. “I'm glad you liked it.”
Evan shakes his head and starts to say something, and then he stops himself because his eyes are filling with tears. Tommy moves in, wrapping him in a hug and kissing his hair as he rubs the back of Evan’s neck. When Evan hugs him back, it's like he's touch starved. He was always tactile and never held back with any affection or touch, but this feels different.
They stand like that for a long time, long enough that Tommy can see the demo looping twice on the shooting game in front of him. But he holds fast. Evan's going to need to be the one to step away, because Tommy isn't letting him go as long as he needs this.
